Nadi al-karahia – Hate Club
by Mini Goat
Summary: Jack wasn't sure when Cassie had started calling him 'Dad' but he knew one thing, Pete would never hold that title.


**_AN: _**_Probably the last pre __**Shai **__story for the series involving SG-1. There is one coming about Mac getting to see his cousin's wedding but I haven't decided where I'm sticking it yet. This is just a fun romp through Cassie's opinion of Jack's behavior and Sam's terrible taste in men. There might possibly be something along the lines of Jack talking to Sara but that will probably be a separate story. Ok, I take it back. I have no idea how many prequels this stuff is getting. Sue me. Set a bit after Chimera but before Heroes._

**Nadi al-karahia – Hate Club**

She had bribed them with snacks of course. Dad was supplying the beer. She had suckered him with a pitiful plea that she missed her family and Sam was always busy with Pete, which she was because the jerk monopolized her time as often as he could manage. He seemed to have an awful lot of time on his hands for someone who was supposed to be catching criminals.

Jack half-heartedly bought beer and stuff to feed the guys with. He really wasn't up to a party for obvious reasons but an intervention was in order. Not that she'd expect her godfather to sort himself out on this right away as he'd helped create this mess in the first place. If he'd just told Sam how he felt about her once in a while instead of cutting her off, they wouldn't all be in this mess.

Her mom had told her to give Sam time to figure things out on her own but Janet either didn't notice or didn't understand how much this was hurting her dad even if he was somewhat at fault.

Because of that, she hadn't told her mom what she was doing tonight other than checking on Dad because he'd seemed kind of down in the dumps lately. It wasn't a lie. It was really obvious Dad wasn't himself at all. Everyone that knew him could tell when he was faking being happy. Sam most of all and she was just ignoring it or telling herself it was his new job so she didn't have to admit she was torturing him dating that… that… spud.

Daniel was still a little out of it so Teal'c showed up with his friend in tow. He seemed to be remembering more things now but there were huge gaps in his memory and no one was confident he'd not get lost or sidetracked still. It was strange having him back. Cassie had just gotten used to him being gone and had started to like Jonas when Daniel had descended and Jonas had gone home to help his people sort out the mess they had made of their selves and she really didn't know what to make of any of that.

"Cassandra Frasier, it is good to see you again." Teal'c told her with a short bow.

"Hey Teal'c! I'm so glad you came over." She told him giving the large Jaffa a big hug before turning to Daniel. "How are you Daniel?"

"Oh, hanging in there I suppose." He said with a vague shrug. Cassie gave him a hug anyway and led them through the kitchen to grab the chips, mini wieners in pastry and beer.

Jack had been sitting in his recliner staring off into the middle distance the whole time Cassie had gotten the house ready. He was still doing that as she led Teal'c and Daniel into the living room chatting casually with them about how school was going.

"It's senior year. Most of the hard work was last year trying to get into a good college. As long as I keep my grades up I'll be fine." She assured Daniel who seemed concerned about her progress this year.

"Well that's good. I'm sure you will be fine." He assured her.

"Daniel Jackson is correct. You are a very bright woman Cassandra Frasier. You will be fine." He'd stressed the last word as he did any word specific to Tau'ri culture

"Aw, thanks guys." She said and ushered them to the couch. She sat down in the other recliner across from Jack with a diet coke in her hands. It didn't escape her notice that Jack had not stopped stocking Sam's favorite snacks in his house. She was fairly certain they hadn't been entirely honest about not being together either. Sam always had spare clothes in her house that were specifically his for instance. She'd tried to brush it off as the guys lost their things now and again there or their stuff got all mixed together but it was consistently Dad's things she loaned to Daniel and Jonas not the other way around. She always had his preference for beer in her fridge too and Cassie _knew_ Sam didn't like stout and Daniel would only drink it if that was all that was left and she sure as heck didn't eat Froot Loops willingly.

Jack was pretty lost in space in spite of the TV flickering a football game in the background. Daniel who usually was the first one to get on Jack's ass about his behavior just looked uncomfortable; like he was trying to remember something that wouldn't quite come to him. Cassie wasn't sure if it was the lack of Sam's presence or Jack's refusal to make things right that had him at a loss but it was clearly one of them because Daniel kept cutting his eyes around the room like he was unconsciously looking for her.

Cassie took a pull of the can of Sam's diet coke she knew Jack would replace later without a single conscious thought "Thank you guys for coming over." She said to Daniel and Teal'c.

"Any time Cassie." Daniel told her.

Teal'c just nodded in assent.

She stood then and looked at Daniel and Teal'c before her eyes settled on Jack, a sad smile on her face. "I officially call to order the first 'We Hate Pete Shanahan' fan club."

"Would it not be an anti-fan club Cassandra Frasier?" Teal'c asked.

Daniel surprisingly saluted Teal'c's point.

Jack just glowered but it was pretty evident her announcement had sparked something. He'd gone from staring off into space to glowering at the glass of scotch in his hand.

"All right, then it's the 'We Hate Pete Shanahan' hate club Teal'c. Thank you." Cassie agreed. She watched Jack wince when he heard Pete's name again out of the corner of her eye. "First order of business, what do we do to get rid of him?"

"Nothing." Came a soft reply from the occupied recliner. Jack never lifted his eyes from his glass.

All three of them turned and stared at him. "What do you mean 'nothing'?" Daniel demanded.

Jack didn't say anything for a long time and they almost thought he wouldn't answer but he finally elaborated, his voice still soft and rough, Cassie realized, with unshed tears. "It's her decision. Leave it be."

"Jack that's a terrible idea. He's clearly not good enough for her and something about him just gives me the creeps." Daniel said.

"Indeed, I too do not care for Detective Shanahan and find him, creepy." Teal'c agreed.

"Doesn't matter." Jack said with a sigh.

"Dad, of _course_ it matters. You hated that guy Kevin I dated for a hot minute and he was _exactly_ like that spud."

"That was different." Jack muttered.

"_How_?!" Cassie demanded.

"Sam isn't my daughter. You are." Jack told her pointing at Cassie.

Cassie narrowed her eyes at Jack. It didn't escape her notice that Jack had said Sam not Carter and the thing was for anyone else that would be a more personal address but in Jack's case Carter was his pet name for her that made it sound like he was being professional but he may as well have been calling her sweetie or dear when he said it. Why was he distancing himself? Why wouldn't he fight? "Dad, she has a right to know how you feel about her." She got the satisfaction of watching him wince and refuse to meet her eyes.

"Cass, she already knows."

"Clearly she doesn't or she wouldn't be dating someone else." Cassie insisted with a scowl.

But Jack just shook his head and looked out the door wall. How was he supposed to tell her that Sam left him not because he didn't love her but because she clearly no longer loved him. He had no other explanation for her decision. Had she told him of her doubts about his feelings he'd have reassured her but she hadn't and he was at a loss as to why she had come home after he spent days terrified that she'd die and kissed his cheek, thanked him, and just… left. What the hell was he supposed to do about that? Chase her like some idiot teenaged kid?

Cassie huffed her disagreement. Aunt Sam wasn't nearly as complicated as Dad thought she was. He had a bad habit of getting uncomfortable with his feelings and shutting the other person down or making jokes instead of letting them voice their concerns. He was slightly better about it with her about her feelings but he'd watched him be dismissive of Aunt Sam's feelings one too many times to not know that had something to do with her decision to start dating someone else instead of the man who was deeply in love with her. She'd dumped her share of guys who might have loved her but who didn't want to be emotionally honest.

"Aunt Sam still loves you Dad." She told him firmly.

"I am in agreement O'Neill. Colonel Carter clearly still loves you." Teal'c agreed.

Jack shook his head and took another sip of his scotch. It just didn't matter. She'd made her choice and he had to learn to live with it and try to be happy for her. The fact that it was killing him inside was irrelevant. Heck being in love with her was ruining their friendship anyways. Now they could go back to being buddies and stop worrying about accidently ripping each other's clothes off every time they got home.

"If the cop makes her happy, just leave her be." He said tonelessly while the other three gaped at him in confusion. It was one thing for Jack to not want to talk about what was going on between he and Sam, everyone in the room respected their feelings on that as she was in his chain of command… but for him to just… give up was, well, not at all like the Jack any of them except perhaps Daniel knew at all.

Daniel got a very thoughtful look on his face. "Cassie, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked her and stood, making it clear it wasn't really a request.

"Ah, sure Daniel." She shrugged and followed him to the front of the house where he let her out the front door so they could speak out of ear shot.

Daniel shoved his hands deep in his pockets, an unwitting replication of the very man he was about to discuss. "Cassie, when I met Jack he was worse but pretty much exactly like this. His son had just died and he'd given up all hope."

"That's terrible. How did he get over it?"

"That's just it, he kind of didn't. He still feels guilt about it. SG-1 gave him something to focus on and babysitting me probably kept him busy enough that he learned to live with it but Jack isn't one to just get over things. I don't think confronting him is going to help him here. Unless Sam ditches this other guy or they talk out how they feel about each other Jack is pretty much going to be like this for a while. We should try to be supportive."

"So what I should be doing is shaking the snot out of Aunt Sam for dating a shrub." Cassie decided.

"Possibly but that's up to you. What Jack needs right now from us is a distraction from his feelings not reminders of what he's lost."

"I still don't get why he won't just tell her he loves her. We can all see she's still in love with him except him."

"I know Cass but its Jack. You'll never convince him by bullying him. Just be supportive for now and hopefully things will eventually work out."

"Are you sure?"

"No but I've got a hunch it will be ok eventually." Daniel admitted. He almost felt like this had to happen for them for some reason though he couldn't put a finger on why. "Let's go inside and eat some snacks and watch a ball game with him. He'd appreciate that. For the record though, I can't stand Pete. I don't know what she sees in him other than a way to aggravate Jack."

"Do you suppose that's what this about?"

"Probably not consciously. Let's go hang out with Jack and try to cheer him up." He said and patted her shoulder.

"Ok." She agreed.

* * *

Later that evening after the guys had left and Cassie had cleaned up the mess, Jack was still sitting in his recliner. Cassie gently removed his glass from his hand. "I think you've had enough tonight Dad."

Jack shrugged. "Probably. But it does keep me from doing something stupid." He admitted though didn't elaborate exactly on which stupid thing he was referring to.

"And that is?" She asked him curious as she pulled him out of the chair by his arm.

"Cass, it doesn't matter if Carter still loves me or not. What matters is she doesn't want to and she has a right to be happy even if it makes me miserable."

"Oh Dad." She said to him brokenly and hugged him hard. He'd waited so long for Sam and now things weren't working out at all the way he'd apparently hoped they would. She prayed Daniel was right. Jack deserved to be happy too.

Jack hugged her back, his eyes closed against the painful hot band around his heart that just wouldn't ease up no matter how hard he tried to make it do so. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up kiddo." He told her finally.

"You going to be ok here by yourself? She asked him as she tilted her head to look at him quizzically.

"I'll be fine. It's not the end of the world Cass." He told her but she gave him a look that clearly said she knew it was the end of his world. Jack shrugged. "It is what it is." He said simply. "Go home and give Janet a hug for me ok?"

"All right. Get some sleep Dad." She told him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before grabbing her purse and leaving for the night.

Jack watched her car roll away then closed the door and walked back to the living room and opened a drawer in a table. A small black box sat on top of some bills. He picked it up and sighed sadly.

He put his hand over the top to open it even though he had the contents memorized including the inscription on the inside. Jack shook his head and put the box back in the drawer unopened and closed the drawer gently before heading upstairs to pass out, still dressed.

Inside a small back box, alone in the drawer, a round blue topaz flanked by a pair of lambda were set on a white gold ring inscribed with a single word that meant everything to him.

**_Always_**

**_AN2:_**_ For those not familiar with modern slang a spud is an idiot and a shrub is a loser. _


End file.
